When One Door Closes, Another One Opens
by WrittenxRelease
Summary: Aang has an announcement: He and Katara are separating. The Fire Lord can barely contain himself when she comes to stay with him. There's just one thing: she hates him. Zuko wants to fix the relationship that he once intentionally destroyed. 6yrs Post-War
1. o Prologue o

**Author's Note #1: Hello readers. This is the prologue to this little story. There's really no meat in this entry, so make sure you read the next few chapters for the full plot.**

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><p><span>When One Door Closes, Another One Opens<span>

**o Prologue o**

He said he needed to meet so we could discuss some "important news." Well, with the Avatar, that could be anything from a war breaking out in the Earth Kingdom, or Sokka did something really funny the other day.

While putting his formal wear on, he couldn't help but think that this might _actually_ be something important. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Aang's letter had seemed… anxious.

Walking into the beautiful atrium of a meeting room (he had moved meetings away from that dreadful throne room), he saw his closest friend sitting at the meeting table, waiting for him.

The Avatar had grown up before his very own eyes. He hadn't realized it until now, when he saw him sitting there, his expression not too happy. He looked as though he hadn't slept in a while, maybe two days, but at the ripe age off 18, it didn't really add to his age. But he definitely looked older, Zuko noted. He couldn't tell why.

Upon his arrival to the table, the Avatar stood up and gave the familiar bow to the Fire Lord. Zuko returned the courtesy, and then broke out into a smile.

The Avatar and the Fire Lord embraced tightly. "Missed you kid," Zuko whispered.

"Missed you, too, Zuko."

They separated, Zuko with a smile, Aang without. The Avatar sat down at the table, putting his elbows on top and his face in his hands. He let out an "uughhhh."

Zuko placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "So I guess it's bad news?"

Zuko could tell that this wasn't about political issues or something trivial. He took a seat next to the Avatar. He mused to himself that somehow Aang had ended up sitting at the head of the table, where he usually sat. "…Aang? You can tell me anything, you know."

Aang pulled his face out of his hands. "Yeah, It's just hard. The real reason I came here was to ask you something."

"Yeah of course. Anything, whatever it is, as long as I'm capable of it, I can make it happen for you."

The Avatar sighed. "Do you think Katara could come stay with you? For a little while? Or maybe longer? I really don't know how long it would be…"

The Fire Lord felt like he was going to explode. His breath hitched in his throat. _Katara? Come to stay? With me?_

"Zuko?"

The Fire Lord composed himself. "Yeah, Aang, you know any of your friends are always welcome here. Especially your girlfriend of six years… I thought that would be obvious."

"I know but, you two never really got along, especially after the …you know…"

"Yeah, I know." Zuko replied, pushing the memories out of his head. He could still feel the pain in his chest.

Aang looked at Zuko, thoughts running through his head at a million miles a second. In their eye contact Zuko sensed he was missing something. His stomach suddenly felt like it was in his throat.

"Aang… what happened to Katara?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened, she's fine, healthy, great. She's great." Zuko took a deep breath.

"Okay. …Good." He hoped Aang wouldn't notice exactly how fast his heart was beating. Earth benders could sense these things… "Well… what is it then?"

Aang looked at Zuko with some sort of sorrow in his eyes. It wasn't pure sadness, it was more like regret, disappointment.

He heard the Avatar breathe deeply, "Zuko, uhm, Katara and I are separating."

Zuko couldn't believe it. He should've expected it from his attitude, but the thought never crossed his mind, After six years of being together, they were separating. _Separating_. The Avatar and his girlfriend were _separating_. After realizing he hadn't responded, he hastily said:

"Aang, I'm sorry. Uhm… What happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened. That's the problem. We're just… I don't know. We're really distant from each other lately. Its like… we're not really in love anymore. We kind of just… grew out of it. I was twelve, she was fourteen. She's twenty now. It was a childhood thing, I suppose."

The Fire Lord couldn't believe his ears. He was sure Aang could now hear his heartbeat, Earthbender or not.

"Just one question… Why would she want to come here? Not that I have a problem with it, but couldn't she go home instead? Wouldn't she much rather… not see me?" He couldn't believe he said that. He wanted to slap himself.

"We've been living at the Western Air Temple for some time now, restoring it, and such. And going home after losing her relationship with the Avatar just doesn't seem like a good option. Could you imagine 'Hey dad, I just broke my engagement with the Avatar! How's life?'" The fake smile quickly evaporated from the young man's face.

"Yeah, I suppose that would be awkward. She's welcome to come, I mean... She'll have as much space as she needs, no questions asked." Zuko promised.

"Thank you Zuko, I really appreciate it. You can't even imagine… I'd never want to hurt her, and I can't just leave her with no where to go…" The Avatar stood, and bowed to the Fire Lord.

"Of course, Aang," he replied. Zuko also stood, removing his head piece. He had thought this meeting would be much more formal, but now he could barely contain himself.

The Fire Lord, now at a wonderfully mature age of twenty-four, felt his breath shorten at the thought of Katara coming to live with him.

He'd have to see her every day.

There'd be no avoiding her.

Every. Single. Day.

The Great Fire Lord could not imagine that his most far-fetched and desired dreams were actually coming true.

He wondered if she still hated him.

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><p><strong>AN: Keep in mind, this is just a prologue. Following chapters will be much longer.**

**Please review, pretty please? With sugar on top?**

**xo Dana**


	2. o Chapter One o Reuniting

**Author's note #1: Hey people. Thanks so much for all of the positive feedback. **

**Also, these first few chapters will be short, so bear with me. They're supposed to leave you wanting more [;**

**Enjoy! xo Dana**

**Author's Note #2: 9/27/11: edited, updated, enjoy [:**

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><p><strong>o Chapter One o<strong>

_****__Fire Lord Zuko,  
><em>_Katara will be arriving within a week. Thank you for taking her. I know she may seem a little… or maybe a lot… uncomfortable at first, but she'll warm up to you. Hopefully. I know she will. It'll take some time. I've asked her to say with you for at least six months, just until I can find a place for her to stay. I have my eyes on a few places: two in the Earth Kindgom and three here in the Fire Nation. I only want the best for her, and I will continue to support her until she can live on her own._

_But right now, she needs someone. I've heard her talking to Appa at night about her life and how she feels. She stopped opening up to me a while ago, since we don't really have a connection anymore. And now she's losing Appa, too. She needs someone to talk to Zuko. Please help her. I'm begging you.  
><em>_She's not the same person she used to be. She used to be loving and caring, honest and simple. But now I barely understand her. I can't get any sort of feeling out of her. And I'm the Avatar! I'm supposed to be a people person!_

_ I don't know Zuko. Something's wrong with her. She won't tell me what, but I need your help.  
><em>_Thank you for everything. My gratitude to you is unimaginable.  
><em>_Aang_

Zuko let the letter fall from his hands onto his desk. His "office" was now in the throne room. He found it a better use than torturing the noblemen of the nation with fear during political meetings. But he had more recently used it as a place of refuge. Now, he came here to think. He felt most in his element, with the fire surrounding him. He felt comfortable; his head was clearest here.

But now, his head was a buzzing frenzy.

_****__Aang,  
><em>_I can't believe you convinced her to come stay here even for a day, let alone six months. She welcome to stay as long as she needs.  
><em>_I will do my best to help her. But I feel that the thing she most needs is definitely not me. If she wants to speak with me, I will comply, but otherwise, I feel it is best to leave her alone. There are plenty of people to talk with in the palace. Maybe I'll buy her a substitute for Appa, although there's no easy replacement for an animal like Appa._

_ I will send you a letter when she arrives.  
><em>_And I'll send you one as often as possible with updates.  
><em>_Zuko  
><em>_P.S. Stop calling me Fire Lord. For the six billionth time._

Zuko sealed his letter and placed in on his desk. He would mail it in the morning. He was grateful that he was saying these things over letter; lying to the Avatar's face was hard business.  
>It was getting late. He needed sleep. Besides, thinking about her made the pain in his chest almost unbearable.<br>Even though he knew he couldn't escape the pain even in his dreams, he pulled his red silk sheets over him.  
>He thought about her, and what she'd be like now. Maybe she forgot about him and all of their nonsense. He almost laughed at the thought. Katara was not a forgetful person, nor a forgiving person.<p>

But then, neither was he, so he couldn't complain.

He'd have to do his best if he wanted to fix things… after all, she _is_ single now.  
>He fell asleep, and for the first night in a while, he dreamt of one of his happier memories.<p>

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><p>Zuko? ZUKO? Why, of all the people, would he have asked <em>ZUKO<em>?  
>She had to spend the next …<em>who knows how long<em>… with Zuko?  
>Oh, Agni, what did I do to deserve this?<p>

Katara could not believe what she heard from the Avatar's mouth. Their _mutual_ agreement to separate (thank Spirits, he'd finally realized) was not her biggest problem.

She had wanted to separate from Aang for a while now… a _long _while. She did love him, but it was more of a sibling love. They acted like siblings around each other, rather than lovers. There was nothing _wrong _with him; he was a wonderful person. Truly unique, true to himself, and others around him… but she just wasn't the one for him.

She'd known this since the day of the Fire Lord's coronation. There was nothing wrong with him. He just… wasn't her type, as cliché as that sounds. It was something about the way he kissed her. To be honest, she'd never been kissed before. But she knew there was something missing, even with her lack of experience. But honestly, could you imagine a fiery, passionate, dramatic water-bending woman… marrying a monk?

She shook her head. It just doesn't seem right.

Laying on Appa, her most recent best friend (mainly because she could tell him anything and everything without receiving a judgmental response), she cuddled in to his soft fur. She'd definitely miss their little nighttime chats… or, rather, Katara talking and Appa listening.

"Appa, what am I going to do? How am I going to survive… _there_? I'll have no one to talk to like this. And if I start talking to myself, I swear to Spirits, I'll put myself in an asylum. And forget about being alone, how am I going to avoid him? Appa, my life sucks."

She thought of him, and how he treated her, betrayed her, lied to her, saved her. She couldn't help but think of him, and what could've been. She could be Mrs. Fire Lord right now, for all she knew. But he forgot about what happened, and so could she.

She would never forgive him.

Ever.

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><p><strong>Author's Note #3: I know it was short. I'm doing what I can without disrupting the flow. But they'll eventually be much longer. Don't worry.<strong>

**Lots of you are favoriting and adding to your alerts list ... **_**Please review! **_**I can't know what you think just by being added to your lists!**

**Author's Note#4:Edit: 9/27/11: I got a review saying "Well obviously we like it if we're adding you to the list, its not rocket science."**

**Thanks, but I'd like an actual opinion… duh. [:**

**Until next time, Dana xo**


	3. o Chapter Two o Memories

**Author's Note #1:** So. It's been a while. I know.  
>First things first. the earlier chapter (2) was removed. <strong>This<strong> is now chapter 2.

I know, I suck. But The story just wasn't working. So, I suggest rereading (its only three chapters total) the whole story.  
>The story just works better this way.<p>

Promise.  
>If you started reading this story after 915/11, you're good, ignore **everything.**

Anyway, I'm back at college, so now I'll be able to update again.  
>Again, sorry for the super delay. But yeah. Thats that.<p>

**Enjoy!  
><strong>Dana **xo**

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><p><strong>o Chapter Two o<strong>

"_Zuko! Zuko, wake up! Open your eyes please!" She shouted to him. She knelt as she reached him, tears streaking her face._

"_Zuko," she whispered. She watched the prince just barely open his eyes._

_He could barely breathe. Her eyes roamed from his sweating face to his chest._

_It was a horrible wound. Immediately she bent the water that was still soaking her clothing from fighting Azula, and wrapped it around her hands. She placed the glowing water on the surface of the wound. As soon as she made contact, Zuko whimpered._

"_Hang on, Zuko, it's okay. You'll make it through. I promise. I'm going to fix you right up."_

"_Ka…ta…ra…" he said through sharp breaths._

"_Yes, Zuko, I'm here. It's okay. You'll be fine. Just concentrate on breathing."_

"_Katara… I can't…breathe." _

_He was fading fast, she could sense his slowing heartbeat. She had to keep trying. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy onto healing him._

_She'd never wanted to heal someone so badly in her life. _

_He had just jumped in front of __**lightening**__ for her. __**Lightening!**_

_She'd never had someone care so much for her. She poured all the love and gratitude she felt into her hands, into the water, through to Zuko._

"_Katara," he whispered. She noticed his heartbeat picked up. But it was different. It wasn't a healthy heartbeat. It was a nervous one. "Katara, I have to tell you something."_

"_Zuko, its okay, save your energy. Relax, please," she whispered. She couldn't speak. Her voice would crack if she tried._

"_Katara, please, before I can't..." He started coughing, racking waves of pain through his body._

_Katara shook her head. "Zuko, you're going to live, stop talking like that!" Please, please, Zuko. Don't give up on me._

"_Katara," he used all of his energy to bring his hand to his face. "Katara, I just need to tell you…" She could see he was using every ounce of energy to get each word out. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Katara, your life is worth more than mine. Please, go find Aang."_

_She closed her eyes, crying, "Zuko, please. Please don't give in, I promise I'll stay with you until everyone else comes. I won't give up on you."_

_"Katara, I love you."_

_By the time she had opened her eyes, his hand had fell from her face to the ground. His eyes were closed. _

_Katara blinked away tears. Had she really just heard that confession? _

_She noticed his heartbeat was fading again. She almost lost focus. She glanced at his face, which was tired, yet serene. She concentrated on him, she searched through his body, feeling the red water that flowed through him. She could tell he was unconscious, but blood was still being pumped through his body.  
>His chest was a mangled mess, though. There was so much to heal. There were literally holes in his heart. She had never tried to heal a wound this terrible closed her eyes and concentrated on having the water untangle knots of muscle and other fibers. <em>

_She wouldn't leave him. She would stay with him until the others came… if they came… if they were alive._

"_Spirits, please help me. Mother, please help me. Please help me save him. I don't want to be alone at the end of this."_

_She wouldn't give up on him. She just couldn't. She would stay here as long as he needed._

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><p>"<em>Katara!" She felt herself being pulled away. She wouldn't let go of him. She'd been healing him for who knows how long. He was still alive, just barely. She could sense it. She wouldn't leave him as long as he still had a little life left in him… "Katara, its too late, you can't fix this!"<em>

"_No, let me go! I have to save him!" _

_She felt arms on her, pulling her away from him. She suddenly realized how exhausted she was. She could barely break free of whoever was pulling her. She didn't care. She promised she'd save him. She promised…_

_She saw those sad, glowing eyes in her mind, just before he had spoke to her. She suddenly found the strength to pull away from the hands on her shoulders._

_Her hands met his skin. She had one hand on his left cheek, the other on his heart. She could sense a few people watching her. The water flowed over her fingers. She put every ounce of energy she could muster into her hands, into the water. She put everything she had, in one final burst._

_The last thing she saw before collapsing into someone's arms was two beautiful amber eyes opening wide, and a mouth, that had been closed for what felt like forever, taking in as much air as it could._

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><p><em>I watched her in the hospital until she woke up. I was there for three days. I studied her face, and the softness in it. Occasionally she would wince, like she was in pain, but her nurse said it was probably just a dream. She wasn't hurt anywhere; there should be no pain.<em>

_I only left once to go ask her doctor if he knew anything more. We spoke in the hallway. He only repeated what he had originally told me. "She's not hurt, she's just tired. Her body is exhausted from something incredible." He glanced at my chest. "She literally put life back into you…part of her energy. She needs to repair herself now. She will be okay." _

_I walked back towards her small room in the Fire Nation hospital. _

_I heard a voice from inside. Not Katara's. A young man's voice. The speaker was very tired and worried._

_I walked forward, looking into the little window of her room. The Avatar was sitting next to her bed, on the chair that I had been sitting on for the past three days. _

"_Katara, I don't know if you can hear me. But I'll be back soon. I'll always be thinking of you. I promise."_

_He was leaving. He had just defeated my father, just a few days ago. So of course, he had to be out in the world, ending the war. I couldn't accomplish anything until my coronation, but the Avatar was on call 24/7._

_When I finally opened my eyes that day, the first thing I saw was a smile of relief, and then bright blue eyes fluttering closed. Then I saw Sokka and Aang. Everyone was happy and celebrating. The Fire Lord was defeated. Azula was defeated. I was alive._

_Katara had collapsed on me, but I still couldn't move without feeling pain. Sokka lifted her up. She wasn't breathing. _

"_She needs a hospital. She's not breathing normally."_

_The mood changed very quickly. I didn't quite understand what had happened to her at first. She only had a few knicks and bruises from Azula, why was she sudden;y so hurt? Toph helped me up, almost unsuccessfully, and Aang and Sokka took turns holding Katara as we walked to the Fire Nation hospital._

_Now, I glanced through the window. Aang was watching her the same way I had been. I'm sure I had that same face of longing and worry._

_I remembered what I confessed to her, suddenly seeing it crumble before my eyes, feeling like a fool. _

"_I love you, Katara." Aang whispered. He kissed her on her forehead and stood. He walked towards the door, and with one final glance back, he left the room, passing by me without even noticing._

_I walked into her room and sat down next to her. I had said the exact same thing to her, just days before. I said it even though I knew he felt the same._

_I couldn't do that to him…_

_I couldn't destroy the one thing he had… For all I knew, she had zero feelings for me. She definitely felt for Aang though. And who am I to come between that? She'll remember what I said, no doubt._

"_I'm sorry, Katara… I should never have said anything."_

_How on earth will I fix this?_

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><p><em>I heard people talking. "She's fine. She just needs to recover. She had barely any life left when she got here. We've already done a water bath during which she healed herself quite considerably."<em>

_I vaguely remembered being placed in a large tub of water, and suddenly whatever pain I was feeling had disappeared._

_How did I get like this? I couldn't remember anything before the hospital…_

"_Are you sure you can't do anything more?"_

_That voice…. Zuko?_

"_No we can't do anything more. She poured almost all of her life into you. She just needs to repair her own. Prin- er, Fire Lord Zuko, you must not worry. You've been here for six days. You should get some rest yourself. You want to feel your best for your coronation…"_

_Fire Lord Zuko? I've been here for six days? I heard feet shuffling, and then next to me, to my left, someone sat down._

"_My coronation is postponed until she is awake and healthy," I heard close to my ear._

"_Yes, sir."_

"_Please, if you hear any word on the Avatar's return, let me know. He should be arriving soon."_

_More footsteps, and I knew we were alone. _

_I wondered if I should let him know I was awake. He's been here for six days? His coronation is postponed?_

_Images of his battered face flowed into her mind. His mangled chest was right in front of her. She was crying. _

"_I love you, Katara."_

_The present Katara felt butterflies in her stomach. That's right, he'd taken Azula's lightening for me. He'd taken __lightening__ for me. And… I saved him. I remember pouring everything I had into my hands, into the water. The last thing I remember… was his dim amber eyes that were usually so glowing. I felt his heart beat pick up and as soon as I knew he would live, I smiled. I vaguely remember falling. And then… well, now I'm here._

_That doctor, he had said Fire Lord… Fire Lord Zuko! Aang won? He did it! He defeated him. And now… Zuko was Fire Lord. I almost couldn't contain my excitement. And Zuko said he postponed his coronation until I was healthy…_

_And Aang, he wasn't here. Zuko told the doctor to look for signs of his return…_

"_Katara," Zuko whispered. My body went rigid. I'd almost forgotten he was there. "Katara, I'm so sorry. You didn't have to do this."_

_I felt a warm hand on mine… __really__ warm. Both of my hands were on top of the blankets. His hand moved up, along my arm and to my shoulder. His warm gentle touch was so comforting. His hand moved to my face, tracing my cheek with the back of his finger. "I'm so sorry, Katara." His hand moved away and took my hand again. I wanted to squeeze back so badly._

_I opened my eyes just a little bit. He was looking at the floor, holding my hand. He was dressed in new robes, definitely ones of royalty. My blankets were red; the whole room was red with gold trim around the windows… We must still be in the Fire Nation. __His__ Fire Nation. I took a deep breath, mostly in relief of the last year's events were finally resolved, but also to let him know I was awake. He looked at me, and as soon as he saw my eyes open, his face erupted into a smile._

"_Hey, Katara, you're awake," I could tell he wanted to say so much more than that. His words from days earlier flowed through my mind. "How are you feeling?"_

_I cleared my throat. "I'm okay. I don't hurt anywhere, I'm okay." I smiled at him, finally able to return the pressure on his hand._

"_How is your….you know," I said. I didn't really want to say it. He nodded though, and stood. He undid his robe, and showed me his chest. _

"_Katara, you saved my life. Its perfectly fine. Its just a scar. The doctors here looked at it. They said her lightening went right through the bottom of my heart, and you fixed it." He sat back down. I hadn't noticed I wasn't breathing the whole time I was staring at his body. "Katara… you literally gave me life… some of yours. That's why you're here. You literally… somehow…" he didn't finish his sentence. I looked at my hands. I remember that. I remember pushing myself to the point of exhaustion to save this boy, this boy who said he loved me._

"_So… you're okay?" He gave me a look, one I couldn't quite understand. I couldn't figure out what it meant._

"_I'm fine, Katara. My uhm… my coronation is tomorrow." He held back a smile as best he could, but it still escaped at the corners of his mouth._

"_I'm so happy for you, Zuko. You deserve this. I'm glad you held on." I squeezed his hand. Then, a thought clicked in my head, _

"_But I thought you were going to wait until I was better?" I said, not realizing my mistake. He smirked._

"_So you were awake for that, hmm?" I felt my cheeks get hot. He smiled at me, catching me of guard, pushing even more blood to my face. Wonderful. I probably looked like a tomato. But nonetheless, I smiled back. I thought of his words from that day, and wondered how I could have never noticed it before. I suppose he had plenty of practice hiding his feelings, being a banished prince and all._

"_Zuko, I, uhm… wanted to talk to you." It was his turn to blush. But then, his gaze turned firm._

"_No." …no what? "Katara," he stood, his hands now firmly at his sides. "I need you to… forget what I said. Just forget it, okay?" _

_How does one go about forgetting their_**_ confession of love_**_ to you?_

"_What? Are you crazy?" I sat up in bed, but felt dizzy. I put my hand to my head._

"_Katara," he said. He came back to my level. "Please, lay down. Forget about me okay? I wasn't thinking right, I was half dead, okay? Just… please. I shouldn't have said it."_

_Is he… taking it back? "Zuko, did you lie to me?"_

"_What? No, Katara, I wouldn't do that-"_

"_Then why…"_

"_Trust me," his expression turned solemn, "Its just better this way. _You didn't think anything of it when I said it, and you shouldn't now._"_

_What was __that__ supposed to mean?_

"_Zuko, I don't understand! What's going on?" I tried to sit up again, but he placed a hand on my shoulder, keeping me down. I suddenly felt weaker than usual._

"_Katara, forget it. You don't love me. Just pretend I don't love you. Nothing will change. It'll be exactly the way it has been for as long as I've known you. We're different, you and I. We're not from the same world. We're… involved with different people."_

_I couldn't figure it out. I stared at him. And then I took in his full appearance. His hair was pulled back into the topknot of Fire Nation Royalty, waiting for the crown to be placed in the little bun on top. His black hair framed his pale face nicely. His new robes were red silk, with gold ribbon trim. Even his shoes were extravagant._

_I looked down at my own clothes, and then back at him. I was furious. "So… a silly water tribe girl isn't good enough for the Fire Lord to marry?"_

"_W-What? Katara, that's not-"_

"_Different worlds? How can you say that? You spend most of your life far from home, without a mother. Oh yeah, Zuko. __**Really**__ different worlds." He looked at me, and for the first time I noticed that the glow to his eyes hadn't returned. He made a motion to disagree, but I didn't want to hear it. "Get out!" _

_He bowed his head, stood and walked toward the door. He paused in the doorway. His right hand went into his silky robe pocket. It came out in a clenched fist. He walked back to my bed. I didn't want to hear it._

"_I thought I said get out."_

_I saw the emotions in his face change from hopeful to rejected, and finally to submission. His hand went back in his pocket.  
><em>

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><p><em>That was not how he wanted it to end. But it couldn't be changed now. If she really didn't want anything to do with him, fine. His title as Fire Lord had nothing to do with their relationship, or lack thereof, but if that's what it took for her to forget about him, then so be it. It would be better that way anyway. As long as she wouldn't fall for him. The Fire Lord couldn't come between the Avatar and his girlfriend. That was like asking to be raped by the Avatar state.<em>

_This is what needed to happen. This is exactly what needed to happen._

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><p>Zuko awoke, his red silk sheets thrown disorderly about his bed<em>. <em>He was sweating and breathing heavily. The sensitive, discolored flesh in the center of his chest was burning and hurting beyond belief.

He looked around and saw spots on his bedsheet… scorch marks from his hands. He got up, furious with himself. He needed a cool shower.

For the fourth night in a row since he'd sent his letter to the Avatar, he would need new bedding.

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><p>Katara sat up in bed, trying not to make any sound. Aang didn't notice. But then, he never noticed her. She hated reliving those few hours of her life. They came to her in dream form quite frequently since Aang had told her she'd be staying with Fire Lord Zuko. Her pillow was wet. She'd been crying in her sleep. She was drenched in a cold sweat.<p>

She sighed. Just another night where nothing but a warm dip in the nearby hot springs would help her relax. She reluctantly got out of bed, deciding that this was going to be a _long_ summer.

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><p><strong>Author's Note #2:<strong> SO.

Thats that. Review, please. Please please please.

Not quite sure where the next chapter is going, but I'll be trying my best to update regularly.

Dana  
><strong>xo<strong>


	4. o Chapter Three o Acquaintances

**Author's Note #1: LOOK, A WILD UPDATE APPEARED!**

**Author's Note #2: Now that I'm not failing Latin, updates will be more often :D**

**enjoy  
>xo Dana <strong>

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><p><strong><span>o Chapter Three o<span>**

Today was a long day. A _really. Really. Really. _Long day.

Katara had spent most of the early morning doing Water combat training with Aang.

Toph had spent most of midday doing Earth combat training with Aang.

Zuko had spent most of the late afternoon doing Fire combat training with Aang.

And then at dusk, Katara, Toph and Zuko spent all evening throwing their elements at Aang, who had his exhausted ass handed to him.

Fourteen hours of training.

However exhausting, the practice is necessary. The Firelord was to be (hopefully) defeated in a few days; the solstice was almost upon them.

Aang, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and Katara sat around the small fire Sokka had made whilst everyone else was hard at work training. They had just eaten the most pathetic meal of whatever protein they could find: fish, nuts, tree leaves. They needed serious replenishing after today.

"I think I have never been more tired in my entire life than I am right now."

"Can it princess, we're all tired. Except for maybe twinkle toes over here," Toph jerked her thumb in Sokka's direction, who gave a "humph."

"I used to train like this everyday when I lived at the palace. Its sort of bittersweet to feel this exhausted," Zuko remarked, surprising everyone. He never spoke about life at the palace. In fact, he rarely spoke at all unless it was relevant to combat and training.

Katara couldn't imagine training like this every day. It just wasn't possible.

"I could never do that," she remarked. She glanced at Zuko, who met her gaze and shrugged. She suddenly felt the need to look down.

"I couldn't either, which is why I'm going to sleep instead of talking about it," Toph reasoned. She stood up from her sitting position on the grass and walked ten-ish feet away. They heard the sound of crunching earth.

"I'm going to have to agree with that." Aang said through a large yawn. "At least you guys had breaks during the day. I was literally training from morning to about 20 minutes ago. Goodnight guys," he said as he stood and walked towards his tent. Sokka followed suit, and went into the tent with Aang, mumbling something about "too tired…for words."

Katara rolled her eyes. "For all the complaining he does, you'd think Sokka's the Avatar."

"I heard that!"

"I thought you were too tired for words!"

"Well, …BLEH!"

Katara giggled. And then, a second later, she heard a chuckle from across the fire.

"Zuko, are you laughing at me?"

He sat up from his laying position to face her. "No, of course not."

"But I heard you laugh. You never laugh," she added matter-of-factly.

"Well, Sokka, you know. He was funny."

Zuko failed to mention that her giggle was also amusing.

"Oh, yeah. He can be like that sometimes."

"Most times." He smiled.

Zuko never smiled. Katara was thoroughly weirded out by his actions tonight. Laughing, talking about his now-banished life in the palace, and _smiling_.

"Zuko, what's with you?"

"Uh, nothing," he said dismissively.

Katara felt weird talking to him. They rarely spoke to each other. Sure there was the occasional "when do you want to train Aang?" and casual conversation, but never a personal one.

But of course Katara knew all about Zuko's personal life.

When they were in the Fire Nation pretending to be Fire Nation citizens, _everyone_ talked about the banished prince. _Everyone _talked about how disgraceful it was to lose such a beautiful member of the Royal Family. And _everyone _talked about his scar.

But Katara still thought he looked okay. More than okay, actually. She glanced at him. He was staring off into the distance, which happened to be the ocean tonight. Their campgrounds were perched on top of a cliff, which would seem rather ominous if the cliff wasn't covered in a meadow of soft grass, positioned next to a waterfall. Perfect for Water and Earth bending.

Beyond the cliff was the ocean. And Zuko's eyes were staring into it and the great clear sky above. The sun had just set, and stars were just starting to poke through.

Yes, Katara thought he definitely looked more than okay, especially in the firelight.

He suddenly turned back towards the fire, and caught her staring. She blushed and quickly looked down.

"Were you… watching me?" Zuko asked cautiously.

Katara tried to justify why, exactly, had she been staring? "Well, you've been acting…well, different today, and I was just thinking about it, that's all. Sorry. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

She almost frantically got up and started walking away from the fire, but not before she heard: "No, don't go."

She turned and saw Zuko, now standing, looking at her with an unreadable look. He suddenly looked conscious of himself.

"I mean, if you want to go to sleep, that's whatever, but I didn't mean to make you upset or anything. If that's why you're leaving…" He scratched his head. Katara had never seen him act this way, but she almost smiled.

Zuko walked to her side of the fire and sat down on the grass next to where she'd been sitting. He felt like a fool and he had no idea why.

Katara, however, felt more confused. Zuko didn't usually talk to her. But now, suddenly, he was almost socializing. _Almost_. She hesitated, but finally decided to sit next to him (but not too close).

"Zuko?" She looked at him. "I dunno how else to say this. You're being weird. And I don't know why."

Zuko sighed. She didn't mean to offend him. He cast his gaze toward the fire.

"I just need someone to talk to. And I'm not sure who to go to," he half-mumbled.

"Well, we're friends, right? I mean, not best friends, you know… But you can talk to me if you want to," she offered.

Zuko looked away from the amber fire and towards her, and was startled by the blue he saw in her eyes. He still wasn't used to seeing that. He also wasn't used to talking to her. He wasn't used to talking to anyone, it seemed. He'd never had a best friend. He'd always been the prince who was too good for the boys at school, but then who else was there?

He didn't know how to begin. "I just… I feel weird."

"Well, you're acting weird. There! We're getting somewhere," Katara said playfully. He chuckled.

"No, I'm serious. Spending the past few weeks with you and the Avatar, it's really changed me. I feel like… I have this destiny. My Uncle would always talk to me about my destiny, and…" he paused, "I told him I didn't have one." (He didn't think it appropriate to mention that he'd always thought his destiny was to capture the Avatar.) "Uncle always said my destiny would find me. I think… I think it finally has."

Katara didn't know what to say. She didn't expect that this conversation would be quite like this... But then again, she didn't know what she _did _expect.

"I uhm, don't really know what you mean by that." She spoke carefully.

"Its like… my life… every single thing that happened to me, happened for a reason. A very _specific_ reason. And I didn't know what to do with all of these things, but now it suddenly just clicked…" he trailed off, thinking. He stared into the stars, as if they were mapped out with the same reasoning.

"Like I said earlier, the training with Aang reminds me of home. Its like bittersweet nostalgia. …Everything changed with my banishment. And then I started, ehrm, hunting you guys," Katara frowned, "But now I'm here, and everything is different. I've finally caught up with the Avatar, but I want the exact opposite. I want to help. I want to fix things… And with the eclipse so close, I can almost feel it being mine again. My country. My people. …Fire Lord Zuko…"

Fire Lord Zuko? _Fire Lord Zuko?_ Sure the thought had crossed her mind, but …never like this. She'd always been terrified of Zuko becoming Fire Lord, because that would mean the Fire Lord would be _hunting the Avatar._

But this is an entirely different perspective. The Fire Lord… _helping_ the Avatar. Fixing the world _with the Avatar_. Katara felt a rush of emotions.

"Its like… all of a sudden, I see what needs to be done. Because of my banishment, I sought the Avatar. Now I'm working with the Avatar, and when we defeat the Fire Lord, the Fire Nation will become my country. My banishment was the best thing that could've happened to me…To the fire nation…To all nations…Does that make sense?"

She could tell the question was not directed to her. But it made perfect sense.

He was staring at the stars again. Katara stared at him. She didn't know what to think. She couldn't fathom the thoughts going on in this boy's mind right now.

Just a few months ago, he wanted the Avatar dead.

And now, he wants to help the Avatar kill his own father, so that he may take the throne and fix everything. _Everything. __**With the Avatar.**_

"Zuko, I …" He looked at her, and sort of smiled.

"I know; you didn't expect that. At all. Sorry. I just, I needed to say it to someone. And you probably think I'm insane because none of it makes sense, but—"

"It makes perfect sense. I'm just… surprised. I'm surprised that you're willing to talk to me like this. I'm surprised that you're willing to give everything to your country, which has _banished you_. I'm surprised that you're willing to just… take the responsibility of fixing _everything_; that you're willing to take this destiny you've been entrusted with and just _go_ with it."

"I know. I've just never really talked to anyone like this before. I'm not as bad as I seem, really. Correction: I'm not as bad as I used to be." He looked at the stars again, this time, longer than usual.

"Do you see that?" he cocked his head.

"What?" Katara looked towards the stars in the general direction he was looking (which was pretty vague). "What am I looking for?"

"There's those two stars, right there. Really close together."

"…Yeah, what about them?"

"I've never noticed them before."

"Well, they _are_ stars. There are _a lot_ of them. Its hard to keep track of them all…" Katara was beginning to think Zuko might really be insane, but then he chuckled.

"I know, I look at them almost every night, for hours. I've never noticed those two before."

"Oh," said Katara. She truly had no idea how to respond. Zuko lay down on the ground, hands behind his head, still staring. Katara followed suit.

"My Uncle studied the stars. He told me that there are these stars called "Binary Stars" which is a pair of stars orbiting each other. The stars are so close that they actually pull matter from each other because of gravity. They share their energy source, but they take equally from each other. They're too small to survive alone, they'd burn out right away. But because they can temporarily borrow from each other, they can coexist, forever. And that's what those are, right there," he said, pointing to the pair.

Katara was amazed. Earlier today he had been a furious Fire bender, shouting and yelling during his practice. And now, suddenly, he was this gentle being who examined stars and was destined to save the Fire Nation.

Never in a million years could she have predicted that this conversation would take place.

She glanced at Zuko. He was asleep.

She looked back at the sky. The star pair was still there. She hadn't imagined it.

* * *

><p><strong>Did you like it? Great! Review!<br>Did you hate it? Bummer! Review!  
><strong>**Do you have another opinion, possibly in between like & hate? Okay! Review!**

**xo  
><strong>**Dana **


	5. o Chapter Four o A Step Forward

**Author's Note 1: I sort of hate this chapter. A lot.**

**Let me know if you agree.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>o Chapter Four o<span>**

Really? _Really?_

She said no to the guards at her doors. But they refused.

She said no to the escorts to dinner. But they refused.

She said _NO_ to the golden chopsticks. But they refused.

She said HELL NO to the Palace palanquin, but they wouldn't even let her walk off the giant steel ship without one.

"What is _with _you people? I have working feet!" She said as she was gently lifted onto the soft, red cushion of the palanquin. The gold and red drapes were closed, and she was alone.

"Sorry, Lady Katara, but it's the Fire Lord's orders," they would mumble.

She had to admit it, hiding behind the curtains was the only benefit. It _was_ nice not having to have people gawk at your blue robes or your funny hair loopies.

She had a guilty thought that just maybe, this comfortable journey in the palanquin might end tragically, so that she wouldn't even have to set foot in the palace.

Her hopes were to no avail. The palanquin was suddenly gently moving downward. The little flips in her stomach told her so.

Now, she'd promised Aang she would be polite and courteous. The Fire Lord had, after all, generously taken her in when she had nowhere to go and she _really_ didn't want the embarrassment of going home to her father… without the Avatar. She hadn't yet broke the news to her family yet…

Thinking about her family made her think about her mother, and she reached up to her neck instinctively. But there was nothing there to touch; her mother's necklace was long since gone. She'd been missing it since the day Sozin's Comet had arrived. She missed her only connection to her mother more than anything.

The palanquin touched the ground. A shadow came to the curtain on her left. "Lady Katara, you have arrived at the palace. If you'd like, we can bring you up to your suite.

She huffed, and opened the curtain, dropping her hand from her neck. "No, thank you. I think I can manage," she said in a polite voice. After all, it wasn't _their_ fault they worked at the palace for such lazy, spoiled people.

She stepped out of the palanquin into the bright sunlight. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust. She placed a hand on her face to shield her eyes a bit, and finally took in the palace. Its gold and red colors shone beautifully in the sunlight. She stood at the bottom of a large, grand, outdoor staircase. The light reflected brilliantly off of the white marble steps. There were guards stationed every ten steps or so. Other than that, it was definitely a beautiful place…. maybe living here wouldn't be _so _bad…

"Lady Katara?" _Or maybe it would…_

She looked to the top of the stairs to see the Fire Lord, standing in the archway of the Palace entrance.

"Hello, Fire Lord Zuko." And so it began. She felt the same amount of hatred she'd felt when he decided she wasn't _worthy_ enough. When he decided she wasn't good enough for him. Not that she would've returned the feelings _anyway._

She sighed to herself, and began to walk up the steps. He began to walk down them, with much more grace than she remembered him having. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious, noting that she wasn't walking as tall as she should be, stepping as light as she should be, and overall as elegant as she should be. Slowly, she straightened herself out, so as not to make it seem sudden. She held her nose high, and when her steps met the Fire Lord's, she stopped walking, as did he.

"Lady Katara, welcome," he said. He held out a hand. He had a warm smile on his face. She couldn't believe that after all this time, all these _years_, he actually expected her respect in return. She looked at him, containing her anger as best she could. Instead of screaming her head off at him and making a spectacle, she gave his hand a glance, and then simply turned her face back towards the palace, and kept walking up the steps.

* * *

><p>So it was going to be like that then. He let his hand fall. He couldn't believe she was going to treat him like this… after all he'd done for her, but then, it was not that she even <em>knew <em>what he'd done.

He noticed the guards watching him with question; some were even watching Katara with anger and disbelief in their eyes. He held up a hand and waved it in their direction, telling them to shoo. They obeyed, averting their eyes elsewhere.

He followed her up the steps, keeping only a few behind her at all times. When they were close to the top, he sped up, reaching the top before her, and then continuing through the doors. While he did feel weaker to her, he _was_ the Fire Lord for Spirit's sake. He couldn't just let her trample all over him.

He stopped just inside the doors, and then something, er, someone, bumped into him. He turned, seeing Katara rubbing her eyes, and looking around in confusion.

"The light here gets some taking used to." Her hands fell from her face and she blinked a few times.

"Sorry," she mumbled, forgetting her anger. He resisted the urge to smile at her clumsiness.

"It's fine. Would you like me to show you to your suite? Or would you rather a guard escort you." He knew what she wanted, but he wanted to see if she would actually push him away with intention. Again.

He watched her examine the inside of the palace. He could tell she was impressed with its beauty. She always was fond of art and architecture. Wherever they traveled, especially in the Western Air Temple, she'd wander around, examining "the beauty of the place."

_There was definitely a beauty in this place._ He sighed, shaking the thoughts from his mind. She finally turned her eyes on him, and when she didn't answer, he sighed and turned, walking away. He snapped his fingers. A guard came up to him, bowing, and the Fire Lord spoke quietly to him. He bowed again, and the Fire Lord nodded, continuing on his path away from Katara.

* * *

><p>The guard said the Fire Lord instructed him to escort her to her suite. He also said that dinner would be at seven, and a guard would come to her door to escort her there at six forty-five, precisely. Katara was polite to the guard, but she could tell there was something on his mind; he would only curtly, almost <em>rudely<em>, speak to her.

They reached a great red door with gold trim. It almost reached the ceiling of the palace, which was pretty high to begin with.

"This is your room. Another guard will be here fifteen before dinner to escort you," he said, with barely any kindness in his voice. Not that she demanded politeness; she was just wondering what she'd done to offend him. Maybe she imagined it?

"Thank you for escorting me."

"Hmph," was all she got in return. _What?_ She turned to face the guard, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Excuse me? Just what did I do? What's your problem?" He looked surprised for a split second, and then he turned back to the curt, impolite expression.

"I just don't understand why guards like me have to be polite to guests who are so rude to the Fire Lord."

Katara was taken aback. _Well! He must be talking about how I ignored his hand on the steps…_

"Listen, you. Zuko and I go way back. Wayyy back. You don't know anything. I knew him before he was Fire Lord, when he was nothing but a banished Prince," she held back a scoff, "and before he was a rich, spoiled, brat!"

The guard looked furious. "How dare you speak of–"

"That will be enough. You are dismissed," an all-too-familiar voice from behind them said.

Katara resisted the urge to turn around.

The guard looked ready to disintegrate. "Yes, my Lord, my apologies." He stepped beside Katara and bowed, to both of them, and hurriedly turned and left.

Katara wanted to do anything but turn and face him.

"Spoiled brat, am I?" he said. She could tell he had a smirk on his face just by the way he spoke. _He was enjoying this?_

She finally turned around, but not before taking a deep breath. "That's exactly what you are… and you know it." She examined him. He looked the same as before, except for the smug look she was getting from him. She turned and faced the door, preparing to enter.

"So you'd rather be staying in makeshift camps in random parts of the world for the rest of your life?" he said as he walked closer to her, finally stepping in front of her, between her and the door. His hands were behind his back, resting on the door handles. He was very close to her… she could feel his warm breath and see every aspect of his face, including his burning amber eyes.

"What's it to you?" she replied, turning her head away from him. She couldn't look at him for much longer. His smile faltered a bit.

"You're right. Sleeping in the wild would be nicer… the sounds at night, the stars overhead, maybe a river nearby with lots of fresh running water…" he said, almost in a mocking voice.

She raised an eyebrow. What was he on about? She pretended to ignore how he named all the things she knew she'd be missing while she stayed here. She looked at him. He had an odd look on his face… like he was trying to maintain his smile, but there was something that was pushing it away. He sighed, finally giving in.

"Alright, look. I know we're on weird terms, and you don't like me, and you think I don't like you. And I'm going to leave you alone, because I know you'd prefer it that way. But I also know you'll never be comfortable here," he said, and looked at the floor almost sheepishly. Katara really didn't want to have this conversation right now. Couldn't she just go to her room and rest for a while first?

"Zuko, I really–"

"Katara, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I really am. And you'll never understand why, but… I had my reasons, okay? Don't bring it up now," he said, noticing that she opened her mouth to protest, "Katara, I just want you to know that I'm sorry." He looked at her, but with a different expression this time. It was firm and commanding. He didn't want to argue, he just wanted her to listen to his apology, whether or not she accepted it was her issue.

"I know you don't want to be here. And I know that it's because of me. And I just… I want you to be as comfortable as possible, and if that means you don't want me to talk to you, that's fine. And I did this," she heard a _click_, "just to give you some comfort."

He pushed the doors open behind him, and at first all Katara could see was _really_ bright light, and Zuko's silhouette in front of her. But then, her eyes began to adjust, and she saw what _looked_ like… a garden?

Zuko stepped to the side, so that she could see in. This wasn't just a garden… it was _her room._ She gasped, and put her hand to her mouth.

There was a grand bed in the middle, with blue bed dressings and blue tulle curtains draped over the very tall mahogany bedposts. The floor under her bed was a large marble… _rock_. Her bed was literally _on a rock_. _**Of marble**__. _The rest of the floor was soft, green grass. There was legitimate grass on the floor.

She looked up. There was …no roof? _That doesn't make sense…_ but as she examined closer, she saw little gold lines in the ceiling, like a grid. It was a _glass roof_. So she could look at the stars at night, and the beautiful sky during the day. And then, she heard a familiar sound… running water?

She scanned the room, looking for the source, seeing beautiful red and purple and gold flowers, all in full bloom_._ It literally was a _garden. She was practically living outdoors_.She spotted something in the corner, could that possibly be…?

She walked over, taking slow steps in disbelief, the grass comforting her feet as she walked. There it was: a pond, complete with a beautiful waterfall and even a few small koi fish. There were lotus flowers growing on the top of the pond, beautiful firelilies by the waterfall… Zuko had put water in her room to make her more comfortable. She bent down, and dipped her hand in the water. She didn't realize how much she missed it on the long journey here. She lifted her hand out of the water, examining the droplets on her hand. She bent them away from her hand, and they floated just above her open palm. She made them dance and spin, reflecting the way her heart was feeling right now.

She let the water droplets fall. She stood up, coming back to reality, and turned, taking in the room again.

"Zuko, this is my room?" she glanced at the doorway, but there was no one there. She frowned. She felt guilty for treating him the way she had, without realizing what he'd done. She walked briskly to the door, hoping to catch him. She looked up and down the dimly lit hallways to no avail. He was gone.

She sighed, and walked back into the room. She made towards her giant, blue, fluffy bed. She flopped on top of it, her emotions more confused than ever. She thought about his words… _"Katara, I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I really am. And you'll never understand why, but… I had my reasons, okay?"_ She scoffed. What reasons could that be? "Selfish prick," she muttered to herself.

She wanted to slap herself. Yes he was selfish, but _look at this room!_ She didn't know what to think. She shouldn't be so overcome with material things, although, this room wasn't exactly a diamond ring. It was more of …non-material? Did that even make sense?

Whatever the case, he had certainly worked his way into her head. And she wasn't sure if she wanted him out or not.

She sat up, annoyed with how much thinking needed to be done. She glanced towards the doorway, half hoping that he'd returned. Instead, she saw something white and shiny out of the corner of her eye. It was a note, tacked to the door.

She got up and walked towards the door. It was a folded piece of parchment with _Katara_ printed on the front in red ink. A gold sticker bearing the seal of the Fire Nation held it to the door.

She peeled it off, and walked back to her bed. She opened it, and read

_Katara,_

_Dinner is at seven. Please join me._

_You don't have to if it would make you uncomfortable. _

_But I'd really like it if you were to join me._

_Zuko_

_P.S. Open your closet._

She closed the note. What could be in her closet? She hadn't even _noticed_ a closet in the room. She glanced around, spotting dark mahogany doors. Her observation skills were particularly low today.

She walked over and opened the doors towards her. A few shelves were there, with some robes that looked about her size, but they were red. There were a few dresses that were more of the Fire Nation style than she would've liked, presumably for formal occasions. She held one of the red dresses in her hands, feeling its expensive fabric.

She decided she wasn't too fond of them, however, there were two sets of doors.

She opened the next doors, and she immediately knew that she'd be wearing these clothes more often.

Everything was blue. And this closet was _much bigger. _She stepped into it. _Yes, into._ There were rows of blue robes, blue dresses, blue jewelry, blue shoes… anything she would've wanted to ever wear was all right here in this closet. _For free._

She shut her mouth, not realizing it was hanging open.

* * *

><p>He hoped she would show. He wanted to see her again. It had only been a few hours and he already missed her. He wanted to know what she thought of the room, and of her closets. He hoped everything was to her liking.<p>

He was seated at the dining table. There was a brilliant chandelier above the center, and two place settings at each end. The table wasn't long; of course, it was only designed to accommodate six people.

It was the table that the Royal Family ate at. _Or, used to eat at._ He rolled his eyes at the thought. There was only one person left from that "family", which is why Zuko didn't spend much time in this room. Even when Uncle came to visit, they didn't dine here. Uncle liked to eat outside anyway, he's weird like that.

"Fire Lord Zuko," a voice said. Zuko looked up, seeing a guard in the doorway. "Lady Katara," the guard announced.

* * *

><p>Zuko stood, walking to the door. She saw him, and she knew immediately that her appearance took him by surprise. Her bags, which the guards had delivered to her after they were, much to her dismay, inspected for dangerous items, provided her belongings such as make-up and toiletries.<p>

She wanted to look nice. She chose a dress that was not _too _extravagant, but definitely nicer than her Water Tribe robes she wore every day. Also, it definitely helped that she'd put on some sparkles around her eyes and some red on her cheeks and lips.

He walked up to her. Somehow she could tell he was nervous. He didn't seem to be blinking as often as usual…"Uhm, Lady Katara. I'm so glad you decided to come." She smiled at how nervous he sounded. He hadn't expected her to look like this. She definitely looked older and more mature than the last time he'd seen her. Then again, twenty usually looked very different from fourteen. The blue and silver dress only accented her dark hair and skin, which in turn made her crystal blue eyes stand out brilliantly. Her curves at this age were much more noticeable than they were at age fourteen. He held out his hand, hoping certain events from earlier today would not repeat themselves.

But then, she put her hand out as well, and placed it in his. She felt he deserved _a little_ thanks, even after, well… you know. He bowed to her, then stood, and met her eyes.

"Thank you for coming, Katara." He said firmly. He seemed to have regained himself and realized that the Fire Lord probably shouldn't be weak with things as simple as talking to a woman.

"Uhm, thank you for having me, Fire Lord." She said. She knew she would feel a little uncomfortable, but she had decided to come anyway. She at least needed to say thank you. His efforts to make her comfortable did not go unnoticed. But, she was still unused to her surroundings, and he could tell. She hadn't been in the Fire Nation since the war had ended. He tried to calm her.

"Please," he said, pulling out the chair at the head of the table for her. She moved to sit down, and behind her as he pushed in the chair; he continued softly "Just call me Zuko."

She wasn't used to being treated so respectfully and generously. Normally, she did all the work, and never had someone formally thank her. She felt a strange sensation, like being overly cared for. Yes, that must be it. She was just flattered with his kindness.

* * *

><p>He felt nervous for some reason. Maybe it was the way she looked, or the way she looked at him.<p>

He walked over to his seat, and signaled for the guard to send the servers in. The guards left and in came the first course.

"So, did you like your suite?" he asked, looking at her. No matter how nervous he felt, he had to remain calm. She hated him, after all. She was only being polite and thankful because of the things he had given to her, which she was clearly pleased about, but he took what he could get.

"Zuko. It's amazing, really. It's beautiful. I can't believe you had that done all for me." He sensed that she was being honest in her words. She really did love it. He felt such pride.

"I'm glad you like it Katara," he started softly. I designed it and picked everything out, decided exactly which things went where…" She looked at him in disbelief.

"I don't know what to say, Zuko. You didn't have to, and I thank you for that."

"Katara, think what you want. But you can ask around, even the guards. It took a long time to get that stupid waterfall working right." She met his eyes as he smiled at her, and she smiled back.

However, there was still tension in the air as the first course, some kind of soup (he wasn't really paying attention to food), was brought to the table. A crystal clear bowl with red soup was placed in front of him. He barely noticed. Now that there was nothing left to talk about, the awkwardness returned.

A few hours ago, she _hated _him. And now, she was smiling, thanking him, and eating dinner with him. He sighed loudly, realizing it was only his acts that she liked about him. He didn't expect her _not_ to be mad, but it was bittersweet to see her like this.

"Is something wrong?" She asked suddenly. He realized he'd been staring into his soup since the loud sigh. She must've noticed both.

"Uhm, no." He said, hastily. Conversation had to be kept up, or things would get worse. "I just… couldn't think of anything to say, actually," he said honestly. He knew she felt the same.

"Oh," she stated simply.

"How is the Western Air Temple looking?" Her eyes lit up, but she tried to hide it. She didn't want to seem _too_ interested, but he noticed anyway. He, however, hid his smirk well.

"Its wonderful, actually. Its all repaired, there's no more damage from the war. Everything is almost cleaned and restored back to the way it used to be. Aang did something really wonderful, actually, he connected with one of the past Air Avatars who was alive when the temple was _first built_ and used what he saw to rebuild and restore it to its original plan. Isn't that something?"

She smiled at him. He smiled back.

Things almost seemed normal. But then:

"Aang and I were going to go back to the Temple this summer and finish it up. We were planning on living there."

Zuko wished he hadn't asked the question in the first place.

Katara was now frowning at her first course, which Zuko didn't even notice had arrived.

"Katara, I didn't mean to–"

"It's fine, really. I just really wish I could see it completed."

Zuko pushed around the food on his plate with his chopsticks.

Katara felt uncomfortable. She also felt sad. Not because she wouldn't be going to the Western Air Temple with Aang anymore, but because she could never see what it was like completely restored. She would never be able to see its beauty.

"Zuko, uhm, I think I'm going to bed."

Zuko looked up from his plate of whatever. She seemed significantly uncomfortable and unhappy. Fantastic. He sighed.

"Alright then."

He felt like he failed. He wasn't sure what he failed at. But he definitely wasn't winning.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note 2:<strong>

** So. There you have it.  
><strong>**Also, I use commas too much.  
><strong>**Also, I use the word 'clearly' too much.  
><strong>**Also, I hate this chapter.  
><strong>**Review so I know you agree.**

**Also, some of you may have already read this chapter.  
>Thats cause it sucked even worse than this one, so I deleted it, fixed it a bit, then put it here.<br>****Sorry.**

**This entire document just blows.  
><strong>

_**On a happier note: Chapter 5 is done! And not sucky! At all! **_

**xo Dana**


	6. o Chapter Five o Learning

**Author's Note #1: I love this chapter. :D**

**& for the record: **

atrium: An open-roofed entrance hall or central court in an ancient Roman house.

Because I can't use adjectives.

* * *

><p><strong>o Chapter Five o<strong>

"I hate this! Why won't this work for me? I hate Waterbending!"

_Splash._

"At least you have good aim."

Katara whirled around to find a soaking-wet Zuko standing behind her, with a half-smirk and half-I'm-soaking-wet-and-cold look on his face.

"Zuko, I'm sorry! I didn't know you were there, I was just making waves and I—I'm sorry, let me dry you off."

"Its alright, I'll go grab a towel."

Katara almost laughed. "Zuko, there's no need." She closed her eyes and found her center. She concentrated on the water soaking his clothes, and moved her hands in a fluid motion, and suddenly the water lifted off of him, leaving him perfectly dry.

He looked at her with a puzzled face, "Still not used to that."

"Yeah well, at least I can manage to do _that_. It'll be a lot of help when facing the Fire Lord." Katara flopped on the nearest boulder. There were a lot of boulders in the Western Air Temple. "Here, Mr. Fire Lord, did Aang get you wet? No worries!" She made a mock happy face. Zuko laughed.

"Well, from the looks of it, you've also got a handle on splashing. And aim. So you could splash him a bit if you wanted to," he added with a smirk, this time not half-soaked.

He sat down next to her. She sighed. "I've been trying to learn this stupid move and it just won't work. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. And I get frustrated really easily and it's just not working."

"Why don't you ask Aang for help? He usually gets Waterbending moves instantly."

Katara gave him a knowing look, "Exactly."

Zuko understood immediately. He also knew exactly how she felt. He knew what it was like to have someone younger than you be better at bending. Of course, his sister wasn't the Avatar, but she could definitely pack a punch. Of lightening.

"Maybe I can help."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Zuko, no offense or anything, but you're a Firebender. I'm a Waterbender. We're kindof exact opposites."

"You'd be surprised. Just show me what you've got so far."

Katara huffed, but seeing as there was no other option, she got off the boulder and walked the few feet to the man-made pool in the atrium of the Western Air Temple. This was the perfect room for practicing Waterbending. This room was one of the reasons the Western Air Temple was her favorite place to be. It was beautiful.

The room was huge, with giantly high ceilings and beautiful stonework. There was a skylight directly over the pool, making the water glisten and shine blue in the sunlight, and an eerie black at night in the moonlight.

Katara looked at the water, which didn't even seem to want to cooperate. "Its supposed to be like… sort of a flood."

"Sort of?" Zuko also got off of the boulder and walked to the opposite side of the pond so he could observe her better. He sat cross-legged at the edge.

"Well yeah, its like a flood, but in a concentrated area... I mean, you aim at a single person, or thing, whatever, and then imagine a waterfall just erupts over their head. Sort of like that."

Katara looked pleased with her explanation. "Sort of…" repeated Zuko.

Katara rolled her eyes and began to concentrate. She focused on the center of the pond. She closed her eyes and inhaled. She opened her eyes, and lifted her arms. The water began to lift in a steady stream from the middle of the pool. She waved her arms some more, and the water began to twist upwards with increasing amounts. Finally Katara thrust her hands up, and the water sky-rocketed, almost reaching the skylight. Katara then switched her footing and turned, the water turned in a spiral.

Then she focused on Zuko, who suddenly looked terrified, and Katara threw her arms in his direction. Zuko braced himself…

But instead of coming straight down to Zuko, the water separated from its spiral column and dissipated, and fell throughout the room like a sudden downpour. The room was flooded, the pool empty, and the two benders: soaked.

"Well… that was sortof …definitely a flood."

Katara shouted in frustration and threw up her arms. The water splashed around. She spun on her heel and marched towards the opposite end of the room where the balcony was. The water parted from her feet as she walked.

Zuko followed suit. He caught up with her as she looked over the railing to the rocky landscape.

"I just don't get what I'm doing wrong."

"I can try to help."

"Can you? Do you know what's wrong?"

"I'll only tell me if you dry me off first. And maybe, don't aim at me next time?"

Katara smiled, and glanced at Zuko. He was dripping wet, staring off into the beautiful landscape that surrounded the Western Air Temple.

She watched the water dripping from his nose, his arms, his torso. And for a moment, she had absolutely no thoughts.

He turned to look at her, "Well? Am I going to need a towel or what?"

"Uhm, uh, no. I'll do it," she stuttered. His amber eyes caught her off guard. She swayed her arms in the same movements as earlier, and the water fell off of them both.

"C'mon, lets try again."

The pair walked back to the now empty pool. Katara waved her hands and the water seemed to flow upstream in reverse, back into the pool. Zuko refrained from commenting on how freaking cool that was.

"So where did you learn this 'sort of flood' thing anyway?"

Katara suddenly went red. "Uhm, from a Waterbending scroll. That I found."

"You found it? There's not many of those just lying around…where did you find it?"

Katara mumbled something, which earned a "What?" from Zuko.

"I found it on a pirate ship."

There was silence for a few seconds.

"_That_ pirate ship?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

More silence. Katara was sure her face was hotter than any fire Zuko could ever produce.

Zuko remembered what he'd said to her that day, and as soon as he had, he wished he could erase it from his memory. And hers. He could just hear himself, with her wrists in her arms, and terror on her face …_I'll save you from the pirates._

"SO. Now that things are sufficiently awkward, let's try this flood thing again," Zuko offered.

Katara nodded. "Right. So what do you think I'm doing wrong?"

"Well, get in your starting position."

Katara did as told. She placed her arms up, palms facing out. She thought she heard a laugh.

"Alright, for one thing, Water, like Fire, is a very fluid element. It's not solid and structured like Earth. If you watch Toph's bending, she is very precise, cutting, and aimed. If you watch my bending, its fluid and flowing but aimed at the same time."

He demonstrated by placing his feet shoulder width apart, facing Katara. He began pointing in one direction with both hands, index fingers only. Then he followed a fluid movement to the other side, pointing with his fingers to the opposite wall. Katara could almost see the energy flowing between his hands, where three streams of fire appeared and spiraled together.

Katara had dropped her stance while she watched. She was sure she looked _nothing _like that. Not _nearly_ as graceful. Or gorgeous. _What? Did that really cross my mind? _

"Katara?" She looked at him, ignoring her thoughts as best she could.

"Right. I can't do that."

"Am I even speaking to Katara anymore? Since when do you say 'I can't do that'?" Zuko gave her an incredulous look. He was right; usually she'd be all for trying a new move, but she just felt so incredibly inept compared to his trained and elegant moves. After all, he had _years_ of **royal training**.

"Look, its not hard. I promise." He stepped closer to her. "Separate your feet. Not like that, shoulder width. Good. Bend your knees, and put one foot slightly behind the other. Waterbenders usually put their hands up, palms out, like you had earlier. Good. This is called your Stance. It's where all your moves should begin. Its when your body is most balanced and ready to take control of an Element."

He examined her. She felt unusually hot. "Good, except this knee," he kneeled and put his hand on the inside of her right knee, "should be facing directly straight." He pulled her knee to the left a bit.

All she could think about were how hot his hands were. She had no idea where her knee was supposed to be. _Focus Katara!_

He stood up, but moved behind her. He was inches away, she could feel his breath on her neck.

"Good. Now, don't think of it as a series of steps, like in the scroll." He was barely whispering. "Think of it as one…fluid…movement."

Katara suddenly had the energy of a lightening bolt. She closed her eyes. The movements flowed through her mind. She focused on the center of the pool, and then suddenly she was moving without thinking, and the water was up, and spiraling, and tall to the ceiling. Then it crashed down on he opposite side of the pool, like a water column flooding a single spot.

Waves of water came around the raised pool and lapped at their feet. Katara spun around to look at Zuko. He had a wide grin on his face.

"That was it, right?"

She nodded. "Sort of a flood. More like a water tornado, but either way, pretty freaking cool," he noted.

She was speechless. A Firebender just taught her how to bend Water like she never had before. He taught her to connect with the water like she never had before.

He also made her heart race. _Several times._

* * *

><p>Last night's dinner did not go so well. But it could have been worse.<p>

It wasn't that she hated him. She just really didn't like him. A lot.

She wasn't sure if she was justified in not liking him. She didn't really care.

She had moments where she felt like forgetting everything and moving on. Most of these moments were when she reveled in the glory of her room.

But they passed quickly.

She was restless today. It was hot in her room. Opening her windows (which were tinted blue glass) just allowed more sweltering air to come in.

Maybe the palace had a swimming pool, she thought. That would be _wonderful._

She left her room, ready for an adventure. She brought her bathing suit, which she wasn't too fond of. It was tiny. There wasn't much fabric. It was the one from her "fully-furnished" closets. But she was desperate, and maybe no one would see her.

She wore a blue curvy cover-up, and cute sandals. At least every day's outfit was an adventure she had to look forward to.

That was about all she had to look forward to.

Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't been paying attention to which turns she had been making. She tried to make it to the main staircase because then, she'd be able to ask a guard on the first floor, if he didn't give her any 'tude.

There was no way to know where she was. Every hallway looked the same. She'd only been walking for a few minutes. She rounded a corner, and this hallway _immediately_ looked different. There were no doors, except one. At the very end of the hallway. And these doors were as tall as the ceiling.

This was a very important room.

She walked up to the door. It wasn't the throne room, she knew that. She had seen that once before. She placed her ear on the door. She heard nothing.

Should she open it?

Should she knock?

She grabbed one of the giant doorknockers inside a golden lion's mouth.

_Loudest knocking of her life!_

No answer.

She bit her lip. Maybe?

She placed her hand on one of the giant golden handles, and pulled.

The room was empty. But it took her a full minute to see if it was. This room was _huge_. There was no ceiling, just an open atrium. Sort of a courtyard, but with a pool in the middle, surrounded by columns.

_Jackpot._ Katara smiled

She walked into the room and sat on the raised ledge of the pool. She dipped her toes in. _Perfect_.

She got up and took off her cover-up and placed it on a nearby (conveniently placed) towel rack, which she noted, held luscious red towels.

The bottom of the pool was painted gold (she hoped it wasn't real), and the marble stone bordering it was red. Maybe she could get used to these warm colors if they were surrounded by water.

She walked to the edge opposite the door. She took a deep breath, and dove in. It felt amazing to be surrounded by her element. Her cool, refreshing, not hot, element.

She resurfaced on the other edge of the pool, facing the door.. "Exactly what I had been looking for."

"Oh really?"

She opened her eyes and saw the most horrifying thing in the world.

A smirk.

But not just any smirk. _His smirk. His shirtless smirk._

"Enjoying my new swimming room?" He was leaning in the great doorway.

"Uhm, yes. Thank you." What a stupid response.

"Come here often?" he asked walking closer.

"Uhm, no, actually, I just sort of… stumbled on this place."

"Interesting. I come here very often. Every day, in fact. At noon. Which is now."

Katara tried as hard as possible not to stare. It wasn't working. Clearly his dily swimming paid off. His torso said so.

He walked over to the ledge of the pool where she was. "Need a lift?"

He held his hand out. She looked around, and it dawned on her that there were no stairs. Fire Nation people are weird.

She reluctantly grabbed his hand, seeing as she had no other choice. But as soon as she felt the water leaving her skin she hated herself.

She was now standing in front of Zuko, dripping wet, wearing the skimpiest bathing suit _ever. Fan. Fucking. Tastic. _

And yes. He noticed. He stood in front of her, in all his tan, shirtless glory, saying nothing.

She walked to the towels, trying her very freaking best not to run.

"Couldn't you just dry yourself off? You know, without a towel?"

She grabbed one and wrapped herself, enjoying its warmth. "Well, yes, but then you'd still be staring."

It wasn't as though she looked _bad_ in the bathing suit. She actually thought she looked _really good._ But standing in nothing but a string bikini in front of the Fire Lord just didn't seem right.

At all.

She couldn't really talk, either. She was doing her own sizeable amount of staring.

"Why doesn't your pool have stairs?" she countered, She found she could speak again now that she was covered (by the fluffiest towel ever).

She received the same smirk she'd received when he first walked in.

"Because the pool in the atrium of the Western Air Temple didn't have stairs."

He dove into the water with much more grace than she expected, but her jaw had already dropped from his previous statement.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note #2:<br>****So. There you have it.  
><strong>**Also, ever wonder why Zuko is the whitest guy ever, yet he lives in the sunniest/hottest Nation? …  
><strong>**Anyway. These chapters that are mostly flashbacks are going to be short little drabbles. But there will be a lot of them, so I hope that makes up for it.**

**Next chapter in a few days, where fluffiness and drama ensues. :D  
><strong>**Review!**

**xoDana**


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